Fun Facts about Giraffes

We all know that Giraffes are really tall. But did you know they give birth standing up?

Here are some interesting facts about giraffes:

Giraffes are ruminants. This means that they have more than one stomach. In fact, giraffes have four stomachs, the extra stomachs assisting with digesting food.

Many of you have probably seen pictures of two giraffes gently rubbing their necks together. It’s an adorable image that gives the impression of intimacy and companionship, and as such it has been used on many a Valentine’s Day card. This practice is actually far from friendly…Male giraffes sometimes fight with their necks over female giraffes. This is called “necking”. The two giraffes stand side by side and one giraffe swings his head and neck, hitting his head against the other giraffe. Sometimes one giraffe is hit to the ground during a combat.

A female giraffe gives birth while standing up. The calf drops approximately 6 feet to the ground, but it is not hurt from the fall.

Giraffes have bluish-purple tongues which are tough and covered in bristly hair to help them with eating the thorny Acacia trees.

The most striking feature of giraffes, apart from their necks, of course, is their magnificent, spotted coat. The intricate patterns of the fur are not only individual to different subspecies—every single giraffe has a unique pattern, much as with human fingerprints. Curiously, the patterns also function as gang signs—giraffes from the same area tend to have similar fur patterns.